7 Memoirs About Addiction by Women Writers

His latest book, There’s Always This Year, takes its structure from a basketball game—a pregame introduction followed by four quarters, the clock running down on each—but there is something here for everyone, whether or not they’re sports fans. Basketball provides a kind of personal and cultural meeting ground for Abdurraqib’s wide-ranging reflections on the home and people he loves; the mythology of “making it”; the nature of performance and aspiration, mortality and grief. As always, his writing is as curious and expansive as it is agile, shifting readers from the close and intimate to the more universal with inimitable grace.

Sober on a Drunk Planet

Many of Ina Garten’s recipes are simple enough that even someone best alcoholic memoirs like me, the least talented cook in my family, can’t screw them up. Yet the much anticipated Be Ready When the Luck Happens shows that her path to success wasn’t always easy. When you think of Garten, you might think of her culinary and business triumphs, her best-selling cookbooks, and her effervescent grace on camera. While all these things are part of her story, her memoir also invites readers into some of the hardest and most vulnerable times in her life. These moments include her upbringing with an emotionally detached mother and a severe, abusive father as well as the challenges that could have ended her marriage to her husband, Jeffrey, despite their deep love for each other.

Reframe Your Shame: Experience Freedom from What Holds You Back

best alcoholic memoirs

The fact that he survived his addiction is a miracle in itself. I can’t relate to much of Carr’s experience with drugs and alcohol, but I could connect to the inner demons that drove him to it. Until I read this book, I felt a combination of broken (or, at the very least, defective) and hopeless. This book by Caroline Knapp was the first recovery Halfway house memoir I ever read. I know I’ve already touched on the importance of books in my recovery journey, but let me explain a little more. When I first stopped drinking, books were one of the most useful tools in my sobriety toolbox.

Tired of Thinking about Drinking: Take My 100 Day Sober Challenge by Belle Roberson

Pooley walks us through a year of her life spent battling alcohol addiction and a recent breast cancer diagnosis, two battles — spoiler alert! Alongside this deeply personal story, she includes scientific research and a wealth of advice, including how to recognize if you have alcohol use disorder (AUD) and how to navigate the social pressures that come with a life of sobriety. Hopefully you or a loved one find some inspiration, motivation, and guidance in one or more of https://ecosoberhouse.com/ these books. At the same time, there are dozens of memoirs written by men and women.

Quit Like a Woman

We need to raise $35,000 to get us through 2025 and balance the budget for 2026. The world is a better place with Electric Lit in it—let’s fight to keep it that way. Although not an exhaustive list, these ten books strongly impacted me and helped me get to six years of sobriety. Plus, I wanted to give you my honest reviews based on books I’ve actually read (something not every website does). This is a memoir by Augusten Burroughs of Running With Scissors fame.

best alcoholic memoirs

The fact that even a great artist like Ditlevsen can capitulate to such dictates, if only once, demonstrates how powerful they are. Sober celebrities, reality stars in rehab and the sudden ubiquity of mocktail recipes… the culture is shifting, and abstinence is in. Peak Covid saw people giving into excess where alcohol was concerned, and the rise of sobriety following the pandemic seems straight out of a ‘nature is healing’ meme.

best alcoholic memoirs

I thought my party-girl ways were so glamourous, but it was really sad and unfulfilling, despite the glitz and glamour. I too was a high-functioning professional with a drinking and cocaine addiction. My addiction always took me to new lows, and cost me many jobs over the years. While these books on the topic of Alcoholics are highly regarded, it’s important to note that any list of ‘best’ books is subjective and reflects a range of opinions. Admitting you have a problem — not to mention actually getting sober — is no small feat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *